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No apology for Thomson comment: O'Farrell

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says he has nothing to apologise for after making a "cheeky" comment about federal MP Craig Thomson being strip-searched before his court appearance on fraud charges.

Thomson's lawyer, Chris McArdle, has threatened to sue Mr O'Farrell unless he apologises for comments he made on Friday while defending corrective services officers who conducted the search.

Thomson has described the search as "a little bit odd" and Mr McArdle says the search was designed to intimidate his client before his court appearance on the NSW central coast on Thursday.

The lawyer described the officers as "goons" and "galoots".

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But Mr O'Farrell said the search was "standard procedure" and Thomson and his lawyer should calm down because "after all ... this whole situation arose because Mr Thomson allegedly was too keen to get his kit off in front of strangers".

Thomson has consistently denied allegations he misused union funds to pay for prostitutes, air travel, entertainment and cash withdrawals when he was national secretary of the Health Services Union (HSU).